Feeding hopper for metal forming machines and the like



R. B. HILL Feb.v 5, 1935.

FEEDING HOPPER FOR METAL FORMING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. l2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RHLFH Ell-11u..

ATTORNEY A R. B. HILL' Feb. 5, 1935,

FEEDING HOPPER FOR METAL FORMING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. l2, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RHLPHELHILL.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES,

FEEDING HOPPER FOR METAL FORMING:v MACHINES ANDA THE LIKEL Ralph B. Hill, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Clark Metal Products, Inc.,` Bridgeport, Conn., acor.

poration of Connecticut Applicationl August 12, 1933, Serial No. 684,853

whims. (o1. 11s-11s,)

The present invention relates to a feeding hopperfor metal forming machinesand the like, and particularly a machine by which flat irregular shaped' articles-for example, the blanks for the plug' and binding post member of an electrical plugdevice may be automatically "fed in a predetermined position to a machine forv perfomiing a forming or other operation thereof. An object is to provide a machine into which a large quantityof the article's'to be fed may be thrown and which will then arrange such articles in a given' position and feed then into relation with the formingk or other machine. It will be understood that the machine may be used forr the feeding cf other articles than those particularly described herein.

With the above and other objects in viewan embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, andthe inventionwill be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the hopper, according to the illustrated exemplaryV embodiment of the invention.

Fig.M 2 'is a side `elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3-3of Fig. 1;

Fig;v 4 is'a side elevation showing the hopper -in its relation to the 'forming press, or other machine to which'it feeds the articles.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken alongtheline 5 5 of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 6.is a plan view of the selectoriplate employed in' the hopper;

Fig. 7. is an edge view thereof, rpartlybroken away.

Fig; 8 is a perspective view of one of the articles adapted to bev fed inthe machine.

Similar reference' characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the Y'several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the feeding hopper according tothe exemplary illustrated embodi- `ment'ofmy invention,is mountedupon a stand l0 in inclined relation in front of the forming press, 11 or other machine to which the irregular shaped articles are to be fed. f

The hopper which is of cylindrical form comprises a base 12 secured upon the upper end of the stand by stud bolts 13, and a side wall 14 having a reduced lower edge portion secured in an annular groove 15 of the base l2 by set screws 16, the shoulder 14a* of the reduced portion being disposed at the inner side and slightly'above the surface of the base to provide an undercut recess for receiving the edge of the selectorplate, presentlyto be described. The base is provided with a central hubv 17 at its "under side having a bearing bushing 18 therein, the lower end of this hub resting upon the gear box 19 provided at the upper end of the stand 10. A

The selector plate 20 is of circular form and has a circular stiffening plate21 at its under side set in a circular recess 22 in the base 12, and at its upper side there is secured a hub- 23. The hub 23 is secured upon the upper end of a shaft 24 journaled in the bushing'l by means of a set screw 25, a worm gear 26 being keyed upon the lower end of the shaft, andv which is engaged by a worm 27 provided on the driveshaft 28, the latter having a pulley 29 secured thereon and which is driven by a belt 3i) from any suitable source of power. It will be seen thatl the selector plate is adapted to be revolved in vthe hopper. y I Y Near the outer edge ofthe plate there are-provided a series of apertures 31 of a shape adapted to receive the irregular shaped article` V.32, the

latter being shown infFig. 8, these openings being( adjacent the inner surface ofthe wall l14, andthe edge of the plate extendinginto therecess beneath the shoulder 14?, the clearancebeing such that the articles cannot enter beneath the shoulder and thereby become jammed.y Y n rlfhe hopper is placed at an incline, as n shown in Fig. 4, andat' one side the base 12 is'provided with a slot 33 over which the apertures 31 pass in succession, the upper end of the ,slot having an inclined ramp portion 33a, and the lower ,end having a slotted extension 34 secured to the base 12 by screws 35. To the lower end of this extension 34a bar 36, upon which the articles are adapted to be received in straddling relation, -is secured by a set screw 37, this bar extending in 'inclined relation to the press 1l.

The selector plate is provided with upwardly .standing pins 38 placed at suitable intervals for the purpose of stirring and agitating the articles as the plate revolves. y

At the upper side of the wall of the hopper there is secured a brush member 39, preferably having wire bristles, and which engage the Yselector plate surface from the wall 14 to a point about midway between the wall and the center.

A spring finger 40 having a pointed lower end is also secured to the wall 14 and presses upon the perforated marginal portion of the selector plate above the upper end ofthe slot 33, and/is adapted as will presently more fully appear to press the articles from the apertures 31 into the slot 33.

Between the brush member 39 and the spring nger 40 a deiiector member 41 is secured to the wall 14, and is arranged to prevent any of the articles in the hopper, which are not in the apertures 31, from moving into relation with the slot 33 and the spring nger 40. This deflector is of scoop shape and extends downwardly at an inclination at one side of and below the center of rotation of the selector plate, and at the point in the path of the pins 38` is provided with a slot 42- to permit their passage.

The operation is as follows:-

A quantity of the articles 32 is placed in the hopper and through the inclined position of the latter are disposed in the lower portion. The selector plate 20 is rotated in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1, and through the agitation of the articles and their tendency to move toward the wall 14 a number of them become disposed inthe apertures 3l, it being only possible due to the shape of these apertures to have the article engage therein in one way. As the plate moves the articles in the apertures into relation With the brush 39 the latter removes any that may not be properly engaged and also prevents passage of any of the articles that may be carried upon the surface of the plate. Such of the articles not carried in the apertures as may pass beyond the brush are deflected downwardly by the deector 41 so that they cannot come into relation with the slot 33. As the articles in the apertures 31 come into relation with the inclined upper end 33 of the slot 33 they drop into the slot, the spring finger 40 pressing them down and insuring their proper disengagement from the apertures. 'Ihrough the inclination of the slot they thereupon move by gravity to the lower end whereupon they trip onto the bar 36, the bifurcated shape of the article permitting it to straddle the bar, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. They thereupon move down the bar 36 by gravity and into relation with the slide feed mechanism of the press, which moves them singly into the forming or other mechanism. I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz-- l. A feeding apparatus for irregular vshaped articles, comprising a receptacle having a base and aside wall, said side wall having upon its inner side an annular undercut recess adjacent said base including a circular outer wall having a circular top wall, a circular rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having its periphery disposed in said annular recess beneath said top wall of said recess and inwardly of said outer wall and having a series of spaced apertures adjacent said side wall substantially corresponding to the shape of said articles and adapted to receive them, and a slideway in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at one point and into which said articles are adapted to drop from said apertures.

2. A feeding apparatus for irregular shaped articles, comprising a stationary inclined receptacle having a base and a side wall, a rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having a series of spaced apertures substantially corresponding to the shape of said articles and adapted to receive them, a slideway in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at o-ne point at the descending side of said plate and into Which said articles are adapted to drop from said apertures, and a nonrotatable brush member secured to said receptacle and engaging the surface of said rotatable plate at a point on the ascending side of said plate.

3. A feeding apparatus for irregular shaped articles, comprising a stationary inclined receptacle having a base and a side wall, a rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having a series of spaced apertures substantially corresponding to the shape of said articles and adapted to receive them, a slideway in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at one point at the descending side of said plate and into which said articles are adapted to drop from said apertures, and a nonrotatable delector member secured to said receptacle and disposed above the rotatable plate at a point on the descending side of said plate ahead of said slide-way point and arranged to prevent articles not in said apertures from reaching said slide-way point.

4. A feeding apparatus for irregular shaped articles, comprising a stationary inclined receptacle having a base and a side Wall, a rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having a series of spaced apertures substantially corresponding to the shape of said articles and adapted to receive them, a slideway in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at one point at the descending side of said plate and into which said articles are adapted to drop from said apertures, a non-rotatable deflector member secured to said receptacle and disposed above the plate at a point at the descending side of said plate' ahead of said slide- Way point and arranged to prevent articles not in said apertures from reaching said slide-Way point, and a non-rotatable brush member secured to said receptacle and engaging the surface of said plate at a point on the ascending side of said plate.

5. A feeding apparatus for irregular shaped articles, comprising a non-rotatable receptacle having a base and a side Wall, a rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having a series of spaced apertures substantially corresponding to the shape of saidarticles and adapted to receive them, a slide-way in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at one point and into which said articles are adapted to drop from said apertures, and a resilient presser member secured to said receptacle and engaging said plate in the path of said apertures and in relation to said slide-way adapted to press the articles out of said apertures into said slide- Way.

6. A feeding apparatus for irregular shaped flat articles, comprising a receptacle having a base and a side wall, a rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having a series of spaced apertures substantially corresponding to the shape of said articles and adapted to receive them, a slide-way in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at one point and into which said articles are adapted to drop in flat relation from said apertures, and a guide member arranged in angular relation to said slide-way to receive said articles from said slide- Way in stacked relation with their flat surfaces contacting.

7. A feeding apparatus for irregular shaped fiat articles having a slot extending from an edge thereof, comprising a receptacle having a base and a side wall, a rotatable base plate disposed in said receptacle upon said base having a series of spaced apertures substantially corresponding to the shape of saidarticles and adapted to receive them with said slot disposed for- Wardly, a slide-Way in relation to the under side of said rotatable plate at one point and into which said articles are adapted to drop in flat relation from said apertures, and a guide bar having its cross-section disposed at right angles to the base of said slide-Wa;T and arranged to receive said articles from said slide-Way with said slot engaging said guide bar, whereby said articles are stacked upon said guide bar with their flat surfaces contacting.

RALPH B. HILL. 

